Nor (Wattpad Featured Story, WriteAffair finalist)

Chapter 46: Proposal

The first person I call on my cell is Brooke. She offers to meet up with me, but I tell her I can't. It's important that I lie low for now.

"What do you mean you need to lie low?"

"I don't want to get into it."

"Are you in trouble, Nora? Did somebody find out about you? Are they hassling you?"

"No." Not in the way you think, anyway. "Look, there's a lot of stuff going on, and there's probably going to be changes."

"Changes?"

"Yeah, but first, I need you to do me a favor. OK?"

"That depends on the favor."

"I need you to find Michael Jarvis and – "

"Ha! What the hell for?"

"It's important, Brooke. I promised I'd help him with something."

Now she becomes suspicious. "Like what? How did you and him … ?"

"I'll explain it to you some other time. Right now, just give him my number and ask him to call me ASAP, OK?"

"What is this about?"

"I don't even know how to tell you. Just do this for me, please."

Luckily, she does, despite her curious confusion. Michael calls me two nights later, asking what I want.

"I've got a proposal for you."

I hear him snort. "Yeah?"

"I was thinking I could give you guys – you and your family – money to move out of Kendall City."

"What?"

"So my dad would never come after you."

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, it's the best thing for you to do right now. So? What do you think?"

"What do I think? OK, first of all, just because we move out of Kendall City doesn't mean your dad won't try to find me. And secondly, NO."

"What? Why?"

"This is where I live. It's my home, my city. I'm not going anywhere just because of a stupid, pint-sized blowhard."

I decide not to respond to that remark. I have to say I'm a little thrown by his answer. I expected Michael to cite all sorts of problems to my suggestion: somebody working on contract, a dog to take care of, a wheelchair-bound grandfather – whatever. But not the plain, ridiculous excuse of refusing to lose out to a stupid, pint-sized blowhard.

"Michael, if you don't move, he's going to kill you."

"Not if I kill him first."

"Michael! I told you you can't!"

"And I'm going to listen to you because … ?"

"There has to be some other way."

"There isn't."

"You can't just off every single person who's a problem to you, OK? Because if you're going to use that philosophy, well, guess what? You're going to have to kill pretty much everybody. Except maybe quiet kids and … people in comas and … yeah."

"What are you even talking about?"

"I don't know."

He pauses, sucking in air. "Look. I said my answer's no. Now, I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"No! Michael, Come on."

"Goodbye, Nora."

"A few days! Give me a few more days. I'll think of something."

"Oh, don't worry. I was planning on taking it easy for a while before doing anything. But after that, well, you know, things happen. Accidents. People get shot. Run over."

"MICHAEL!"

"Goodbye, Nora." Click.